Against a War Torn Sky
by Sailorprinzess
Summary: -Chapter 14 is Up--A new war between Japan and the Arigami arises, and it's up to the TAC to protect it. But it's not helping that the Arigami are back in control of Kusanagi and Momiji is without her protector. MomijiKusanagi MurakumoAkima (AU) -R&R-
1. New Member

***Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Konnichiwa! I'm sorry it took me so long to write this! I sort of been neglecting this so I could write my Outlaw Star fic… But I promise to update this more often… Please review!  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Kusanagi was walking the streets of Tokyo to the TAC building. Millions of thoughts were racing in his mind, most of them of what Momiji had said the other day. She said she was having feelings of an advance attack of the Arigami. [Could that be possible? Are they really gone or is it a trick?] He didn't know. But he had a feeling that they were going to attack and soon. Like Momiji, he's been having a feeling inside of him. It was like a fire deep inside of him, growing every day. He didn't tell her because he didn't want to worry her or the others. He wanted to protect them, and if keeping things from them was the only way, then so be it.  
  
"Hi Kusanagi!" Momiji called out, waving her arm out of the office window. "Come on up!"  
  
His face turned red with embarrassment. He nodded to her and treaded up the steel staircase that led to the TAC's office space. He walked into Kunikida's office, where Momiji and Kome were.  
  
"Hey Kussy Boy," Kome said with a wave. "It took you longer than usual to come those stairs, loosing your Arigami quickness?"  
  
He ignored her comment and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Kunikida's desk. "So what did you call me down here for?" he asked. "Did the Arigami finally show its face?"  
  
Kunikida shook his head. "No. I called you done here because we have a new member in the TAC team."  
  
Kusanagi laughed, thinking that he was just joking. "A new member? That's funny, Kunikida. Real funny," he said. "Now honestly, what did you call me down here for?"  
  
"He's not joking," Momiji said. "We really do have a new member."  
  
Kusanagi lifted his brow and sat back in his chair. He couldn't believe that Kunikida would actually trust another person, a perfect stranger, to join the TAC. It was something that doesn't happen very often. He barely even trusts him, so why would he trust somebody he just met?   
  
[Something weird is going on. And I'm going to find out what it is.]  
  
Kunikida stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it, revealing a short girl with purple hair that fell just below her shoulders. She already had a purple jacket with the TAC logo on the back of it. It was all happening to quickly.  
  
"Kusanagi," Kunikida said, motioning to the girl, "meet Akima Hisawagi. Akima, this is Kusanagi, the Kushinada's protector."  
  
"Nice to meet you," she said with a sly grin.  
  
Kusanagi nodded. "Same here," he said.  
  
Momiji stood up next to him and smiled. "I'm Momiji."  
  
"I know who you are," she said. "You're the Kushinada, the ultimate sacrifice."  
  
An uneasy smile grew on Momiji's face. "Yeah I guess. But just call me Momiji."  
  
"And I'm Kome," she said. "I only have one rule: Don't mess with my guns."  
  
"I'll try not to," Akima said.  
  
Kusanagi didn't trust her at all. He had the feeling that she isn't what she said she was. But he didn't say anything, he kept it to himself like everything else.  
  
"How about we go introduce you to the rest of the team, Akima?" Kunikida asked.  
  
She nodded. "Farwell Kusanagi," she said glaring at him with a wicked smile. "Bye Momiji and Kome. It was a pleasure meeting you."  
  
They walked away, leaving them in the office.  
  
"I think she's nice," Momiji admitted. "A little strange, though. But I'm not one to talk."  
  
Kome stood up. "I don't know what to think of her just yet. But just as long as she doesn't mess with my guns I guess she's all right."  
  
Momiji smiled. "I don't think you have to worry about your guns, Kome."  
  
"You never know," she said, and opened the door. "I'm going. Bye."  
  
Kusanagi and Momiji stood there not saying a single word. He didn't know what to say. He know he wanted to tell her about his feelings and how he felt about Akima, but he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to open his mouth and let the words fall out. He didn't want to worry her.  
  
"Kusanagi," she said, touching his hand. "What's the matter? You seem different."  
  
"I'm fine," he replied, reassuring her with a smile. "How about we go get something to eat?"  
  
She stepped in front of him and stared up into his eyes. "Do you promise you're all right?"  
  
"I promise," he said. "Now let's go."  
  
She nodded and they walked out of the building.   
  
[I'll just pretend everything's all right. I'll pretend that I didn't feel those feeling and that Akima couldn't be trusted. Everything's all right.]  
  
--  
  
"Lord Susana-oh," Kaede said. "Murakumo and Akima don't expect a thing. They're totally unaware of our plans."  
  
Susana-oh, who is still a child, nodded and smiled joyfully.  
  
"In three days, our plans will become reality," she said. "They won't have any suspicions. They'll be totally caught off guard."  
  
She floated above Japan, smiling evilly. Everyone was living their lives as if nothing was going to happen. Her plans were like a snake, ready to strike at any minute. They were going to destroying everything and make a new Japan with overflowing with forests with trees and plants. They were going to make Japan they way it's supposed to be.  
  
"Soon," she said. "Very soon. Japan will no longer be suffering with humans who pollute the air and destroy everything in sight."  
  
--  
  
"Akima," Murakumo said, "do they suspect anything about you?"  
  
"No. They don't," she replied. "They welcomed me with open arms like the foolish people that they are."  
  
Akima was back in the Underworld while Japan slept through the night. They were in Murakumo's throne room.  
  
"Good work, Akima," he said. "Continue to gain their trust and then strike. They won't know what hit them."  
  
"And what do I do with Kusanagi and the Kushinada?" she asked.  
  
He walked closer to her. "Lure Kusanagi to come back to the Arigami," he replied.  
  
"And what is he can't be lured?"  
  
"Make him an offer he can't refuse," he said. "It's either he comes back to the Arigami or we kill the girl."  
  
She nodded. "Right."  
  
"Then once he comes back, do what ever you want with her," he said. "We don't need her once we have Kusanagi."  
  
She started to kneel, but he reached down and stopped her. She looked up at him in shock. "Your majesty?"   
  
He pulled her face to his and kissed her. Her heart was racing as fast as a horse in a race. She didn't know if it was all right to feel this way about him, but she knew she couldn't help having them.  
  
They broke off and she stared wide-eyed. "Murakumo?"  
  
"Don't fail me like the others," he said, and walked away.  
  
She swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."   
  
--  
  
To Be Continued  
  
Please review and tell me what you think! 


	2. The Beginning

***Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters...  
  
Hey everyone! I decided to write another Blue Seed fic! But this is different from my other ones. It's an A/U fic with romance and action! So I hope you guys like it! Please review!  
  
Against a War Torn Sky  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Murakumo," Akima said, kneeling before him. "I suspect that Kaede and Susana-oh have gone against the Arigami and plan to destroy our plans."  
  
He sat on his throne, staring off into the darkness that surrounded them. "We don't worry about them, Akima," he said. "They are the ones that have to be worried."  
  
Akima lifted her head in bewilderment. She couldn't believe that he wasn't worried about them. She knew they were very strong and had a lot of power, even more than that of the Arigami. So, how could the Arigami possibly win against them? It would be a war against the gods. Gods that were practically invincible.  
  
"Sir Murakumo," she said. "How can you be so certain about that? A war against them would be like fighting against giants."  
  
"Have faith in the Arigami," he hissed. "We are warriors with the power to rise above any problem that comes our way. We will rise above this, Akima."  
  
"How?" she asked.  
  
He stood up and walked towards her, his cape unfurling like a flag behind him. He took her hands and lifted her to her feet. "I have a plan that will help us," he replied. "And I need you in order for it to work."  
  
She raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Me, your majesty?" she asked, sucking in air. "What could I possibly do that will help you succeed with your plan?"  
  
He lifted his hand to remove the golden hair that fell in her face. "Your body, like mine, is embedded with eight mitamas, which gives you power beyond other members of the Arigami. So you are the only one that will be able to make my plan become a reality."  
  
She looked down at the mitama that was rooted above her chest. She knew he was right. She was the only one who could do it, whatever it was that he wanted her to do. "I'll do whatever you want me to do. I will be loyal to the Arigami," she said, and then looked up at him. "I will be faithful to you, too, Murakumo."  
  
"I know you will," he said, and grinned.   
  
Akima felt her heart beating wildly against her ribs. With each beat, she felt as if it would rip through her skin and land on Murakumo's feet. Her stomach felt as if it was filled with butterflies, fluttering anxiously. These feelings were so foreign to her. She didn't know if the feelings were bad or if they were good. All she knew was that she felt strongly for him in a way that even she couldn't explain.  
  
"Akima, are you ready for my plans?" he asked.  
  
She nodded her head and smiled. "I'm ready."  
  
"Good," he said, and took her hand. "Then let's go."  
  
"All right," she said, and they walked off into the darkness.  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
"Kusanagi," Momiji said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Do you love me?"  
  
He nodded. "More than anything."  
  
They sat on a wooden bench in the park, staring at the view of Tokyo's skyscrapers above he cheery blossom trees. It's been a couple of weeks since they've last fought against the Arigami. They know that they aren't going to stop attacking, but they knew that they weren't going to attack anytime soon. Because in a couple of days, Japan will be celebrating the Rite of Matsuri and that is the time when the Kushinada's powers are the strongest. So the Arigami knew if they attacked now, they would have no chance of winning.  
  
"Then you would protect me no matter what, right?" she asked.  
  
"Of course," he said, and turned to her. "Why are you asking me all these questions, Momiji? Are you all right?"  
  
She looked down at the cobblestone path beneath their feet and shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said. "I've been having these weird feelings lately."  
  
"What kind of feelings?" he asked.  
  
"I think that the Arigami are trying to trick us by laying low," she replied. "It's like they want us to believe that they're not going to attack so we put our guard down, making ourselves vulnerable to danger. And when we do eventually put our guard down, they'll attack, causing a major catastrophe."  
  
"When do you feel like that?" he asked.  
  
"The feeling is getting stronger with every passing day," she said, and looked up at him. "I feel it deep inside of me, Kusanagi. And it's weird, because I only felt like this when I had my mitama, but now you have it. So I don't understand how I can possibly feel like this."  
  
"You may have lost the mitama, but you still have the blood of the Kushinada running through your veins, don't forget that," he said, and took her hand. "You have nothing to worry about. I will always protect you, don't forget that either."  
  
"I won't," she said, and tilted her head toward the vast, blue sky. "But I can't help to feel that a war is coming."  
  
"I know what you mean," he said, and sighed. "But I'll try anything to stop it from doing so."  
  
Momiji nodded and then leaned back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes in hopes of opening them in another world. A world without war, without hate, and without the Arigami. It would be a perfect world. But it was a dream world; that's all it was. A dream that wouldn't come true. It will be a world that she could only make up in her head or write a story about.  
  
"Momiji, let's get out of here," Kusanagi said. "What do you say?"  
  
"All right," she said, standing up.   
  
They held hands as they walked through the park filled with dense cherry blossom trees and small ponds filled with multi-colored fish. Everything and everyone around them was unaware of what the next days were going to bring. Whether it was going to be sadness, depression, devastation, or maybe even massacre, they knew they weren't safe from it. No one was.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Meanwhile in the underworld…  
  
"Akima," Murakumo said, "are you positive you can do this?"  
  
She nodded. "I'm very positive. I will put all my will into this."  
  
"Good," he said, sitting down. "Then you may leave to Earth."  
  
She bowed her head and started to walk towards the stone entranceway when he called out to her. She stopped and turned to him. "What is it, your majesty?"  
  
"Just don't go and get yourself killed while you're over there," he said. "I may need you in the future."  
  
She smiled. "I'll try," she answered. "I'm not sure if "be careful" is in my vocabulary, though."  
  
"That's why I'll be watching over you," he said.  
  
She nodded and walked into the darkness. She walked down the long, dark corridor until she got to a wooden door. She pushed it open and closed it securely behind her. Flames on torches scattered the walls, giving the room a soft glow. She walked into the middle of the room, where a pool of crystal-clear water was. She bent down and placed her palm on the surface of it, forming gentle ripples.   
  
As the ripples cleared, a picture started to appear in the water. It eventually cleared and a picture of a couple swayed in the water.  
  
She grinned as she started into the water. "Kusanagi…" She laughed. "You will soon be back with Arigami. Real soon."  
  
--  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Please review and tell me what you think so I know to keep writing! 


	3. Trust an Enemy

***Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Hey everybody! I'm sorry it took a while to write this. I've just been busy with my other fics. Anyway, I hope you like this and please review!  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"So you came, Kusanagi?" Akima said, folding her hands on the table. "I'm surprised."  
  
Kusanagi sat down in the booth and glared at her. "I'm not a coward, Akima. And I'm not afraid of you."  
  
It was Saturday in the city of Tokyo. Akima and Kusanagi sat in a dim diner during rush hour, which is all the time in Tokyo.   
  
"I didn't think you were," she said, and sipped her tea. "I meant that I was surprised that you came alone, without your giddy sidekick. What's her name--Momiji? Yeah, that's it."  
  
"Yeah. Whatever. Let's just get this over with, because I have someplace I need to be," he said, annoyed. "Why did you ask me here?"  
  
Akima grinned. "Just wanted to have lunch with you, Kusanagi. Can't I meet with my own partner without inquiry about my motives?"  
  
"For one thing, we're not partners," he said.   
  
She put her lip over her top like a baby that is ready to cry. "Oh, Kusanagi. That hurts. Don't you trust me enough to be partners?"  
  
He shrugged. He wasn't sure what to think. Should he trust her? Or should he deny her of his trust? He didn't know what to do. His mind was clouded, like the sky outside.   
  
"Anyway. I already ordered you a drink, since you weren't here when the waitress came around," she said, sliding a white cup across the table to him. "It's green tea."  
  
He picked up the cup and sipped it slowly, so it wouldn't burn his lip. The tea traveled down his throat, sending hot sensations all over his body. But there was something about the taste that was different. It had the flavor of a bitter medicine. The taste made his body shudder. He quickly spit it back into the cup and wiped his mouth off with a napkin.  
  
Akima laughed. "Is it too strong for you, Kusanagi?"  
  
He clutched his throat as the acidic taste stung him. He started to gag.   
  
She slightly shook her head, grinning. "Don't you know not to take drinks from people you don't trust? I thought you were smarter than that. I guess I overestimated you."  
  
She pulled out a small vial with blue contents. She smiled mischievously and rolled the vial towards him. He picked it up and examined it. He noticed on the side panel, a picture of a skull with crossbones.  
  
"Poison," he said in a hoarse voice as he grasped the vial in his hand. "I should've know you would double-cross me."  
  
She leaned in and whispered, "It's time for you to stop trusting people so much, Kusanagi. Because in war, you can only trust yourself."  
  
His vision started to get blurry and soon he saw two heads on her shoulders instead of one. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get his vision back to normal, but it was no use. No matter how much he tried, his vision only got worse. He couldn't hold onto his consciousness. It kept slipping farther and farther away from his grasp. And soon after, his body collapsed onto the table.   
  
People around them started at them curiously. Seeing that he was out cold and she just sat there smiling, they started to whisper back and forth.  
  
She stood up and lifted his arm up around her shoulder. "I told him not to drink too much. But he didn't listen," Akima explained as she walked past everybody. "Now he'll have a hang-over and the toilet bowl is going to be is best friend."   
  
She left the diner and tugged him into a dark alley that was out of public view. She propped him up against the wall and pulled out her watch. "Akima here," she said. "I have Kusanagi with me."  
  
"Good work, Akima," Murakumo said. "Now come back to the underworld."  
  
"Yes, sir," she said. "We'll be there soon."  
  
--  
  
Kaede glared at the sight of Akima teleporting Kusanagi to the underworld. She hated the fact that the Arigami needed Kusanagi to overrule her and Susana-oh. It was disgracing.  
  
"Look at them," she said, amused. "They actually believe that they can truly beat us with Kusanagi. Well, I guess we'll have to tell the TAC."  
  
Susana-oh pulled on her dress and looked up at her in confusion.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm not on their side," she said, smiling down at him. "I'm not going to do it for them, I'm doing it for us. If I tell them, we'll gain their trust and then we'll finally be able to use Momiji as a sacrifice for a better reason than they will."  
  
Susana-oh nodded and looked over Tokyo.   
  
"They won't know what hit them," Kaede assured, and then disappeared along with Susana-oh.  
  
--  
  
Momiji impatiently looked at her watch. It was way past the time Kusanagi was supposed to meet her for lunch. She stood in front of a small café, waiting for him. Cars buzzed by, but none of them had Kusanagi in them. She wondered where he was, since he would never stand her up or be late without telling her in advance. It was unusual. It wasn't like him.  
  
"Kusanagi," she said, looking at her watch worriedly. "Where are you?"   
  
--  
  
To Be Continued… Please Review! 


	4. Kusanagi, my love. Kaede, my enemy.

***Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Hi everyone! I'm sorry it took so long for this chapter! Bu I hope you guys like it, and please review!  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Murakumo hovered over the sleeping Kusanagi, while Akima scanned his mind for his memories of the Arigami. She found many images of his past, but his memories were mostly of his time protecting Kaede and Momiji. She didn't understand something, though. Of all his memories, she never saw one with her in them. Not a single one. She wondered why, since she has been with the Arigami for a long time… [Why aren't I in his memories?]  
  
"Did you find anything, Akima?" Murakumo asked, looking up at her. "Even if it's the tiniest speck of information, it is still useful."  
  
She snapped out of her overwhelming curiosity and looked up at him. "I've found some memories, Lord Murakumo. But there isn't much. They're mostly of him protecting the Kushinada."  
  
He nodded, looking deep in thought. "I suspected that he wouldn't remember that much. He's stubborn, but I assure you that he can be overtaken with force."  
  
"I've learned that already," she replied, thinking about what happened in the café.   
  
"Yes. I believe you have," he said, smiling.  
  
She started to open her mouth, but stopped. She couldn't as him her question. It's stupid, anyway. She's probably just worrying too much. [Yeah. That's it…It's not real. I'm just daydreaming.]  
  
Noticing her wanting to say something, he said, "What, Akima? What is it that you want to ask me?"  
  
She bit her lower lip. She wanted to ask him the question, but it would come out all wrong. She wanted to know why she isn't in Kusanagi's memories and why she has no recollection of her past either. Every time she tried to look back, an iron wall forms in the middle of her mind and she can't think. It's as if her mind is trying to hide something from her; a dark secret that she can't know about. She wished she was strong enough to knock the wall down and finally know the truth, but she wasn't.  
  
"Akima?" Murakumo said, moving closer to her. "What is it? Are you all right?"  
  
She didn't know what to say. She didn't know if she was all right or not. She was just as confused as a tangled ball of knots. But she didn't want to worry him, nor did she want to ask him her question. "I'm fine, Murakumo. Perfectly fine… I guess I'm just a little out of it today."  
  
He leaned in to kiss her forehead and then kissed her lips. She smiled to herself, feeling his warmth enclose her like a box of passion. Though she was unsure about most things, she knew she was sure of her strong love for Murakumo.  
  
--  
  
"Are you sure you didn't talk to him before then, Momiji?" Kunikida asked. "I mean, it's very unlikely for him to go a day without talking or contacting you. It's unlike Kusanagi to do that."  
  
Momiji nodded and sighed. "I know! I wish I knew where he is! He totally stood me up without even telling me that he wasn't coming. I stood there for an hour waiting for him."  
  
It was Sunday morning and Momiji was in Kunikida's office telling him about what happened yesterday. She was worried about him, but she tried to hide it with her anger, which didn't really work that well. But then, nothing ever goes the way she wants them to.  
  
"Do you think he would run away from Tokyo?" he asked, leaning back in his leather-cushioned chair. "Would he get that fed up with this whole Arigami business and take off?"  
  
"I hope not," she said with terror in her eyes. She shot up from her chair and slapped her hand on his desk. "Did he tell you anything? Did he tell you that he wanted to run away from me?"  
  
Kunikida stood up from his chair and walked around his desk. He turned her to him. Tears slowly rolled down her face like a soft stream down a mountainside. He wiped her face with his thumb and hugged her. She was startled at first, since he never hugged her before or shown one ounce of affection towards her. But she always knew that he cared for her, even though he doesn't show it that much.  
  
"Calm down, Momiji," he said, gently rubbing the back of her head. "I'm sure he hasn't run away. And if he has, we'll find him. I promise we will. Even if it takes forever."  
  
She wiped the rest of her tears in his shirt and looked up at him. "Thank you, Kunikida. You really are like a dad to me," she said, smiling.   
  
He smiled uneasily and then hurriedly sat down at his desk. "Yes, well, Momiji, I have work to do, so I'll talk to you later. But I'll tell Takeuchi and the others to keep a look out for Kusanagi."  
  
She nodded. "Thanks." She waved good-bye to him and walked away, shrugging off the weird feeling she felt when Kunikida reacted the way he did about what she said.  
  
She walked down the hallway, thinking about Kusanagi. She missed him, even more than she did before. She wanted to see him and take him in her arms, like she did so many times before. All those feelings that she wanted to feel were gone away with him. She felt lonely without them.  
  
As she walked, she felt a weird chill circling her. It was like the feeling of wind during the winter when the snow is falling. Cool, crisp, and eerie. She wrapped her arms tightly around her, trying to make herself warm and to get rid of the feeling of being watched. But it didn't help at all. It only made it worse.  
  
"Momiji…" an icy voice like water over dry ice said.  
  
Momiji turned, but saw nothing. "Hello? Is anyone…there?"  
  
No answer.  
  
She scanned up and down the hall, but still saw nothing, only darkness in every corner. Not even a suspicious object. Nothing. She turned back to her original destination, making sure she paid close attention to her surroundings. The more and more she watched around her, the more frightened she felt. She couldn't take it anymore, so she stared to run. She ran with her arms pumping wildly at her sides.  
  
"Momiji…" the voice said again, sounding closer with every stride she took. "Run. Run. Run all you want, Momiji, but you can't hide from me. Not your own sister."  
  
Momiji turned her head, but as soon as she took her eyes off of where she was going, she tripped over her foot and fell to the ground, landing hard. "Ouch!"  
  
Sinister laughter filled the hall. "Good job, Momiji. Not even I could accomplish that."  
  
"I'm sorry that I'm not perfect," Momiji muttered to herself, and lifted herself off the ground, feeling pain simmering in her knees. "Why do I have to be so damn clumsy?"  
  
Kaede appeared before her, smiling. "You can't help it, Momiji. It's just how you are."  
  
She rolled her eyes. She loved her sister, but sometimes she couldn't stand her, which is understandable. She hated that she was so perfect and the more beautiful Kushinada. Though, she knew Kaede didn't like her all that much either, so it's a mutual feeling… But even after that, deep down, they both loved each other very much. It was a Kushinada thing.  
  
"What do I owe the honor of this visit?" Momiji asked, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Do I really need an excuse to visit my own beloved sister?" she asked. "I think not."  
  
She lifted her brow. "Yeah. I mean, it's not as if it happens all the time, Kaede. Don't you remember that we're at war against each other? Or are you having a memory elapse?"  
  
She smiled and placed her hands on Momiji's shoulders. "Ah, my dear sister Momiji. You're so naïve, aren't you? You don't get anything. You're just like Kusanagi."  
  
"Kusanagi?!?" Momiji exclaimed. "What about him? Do you know where he is? Kaede, if you do, you have to tell me!"  
  
"Of course I know where he is, you fool," she said defensively. "I know everything that happens in the Underworld and this one."  
  
She narrowed her eyes at her. She felt something deep inside of her clouding her ability to think straight. She didn't feel right… Almost as if she was being controlled.   
  
"Don't worry, Momiji," Kaede whispered. "You have better things to worry about . Like yourself."  
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please Review! 


	5. Open Window

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters  
  
Hi everybody! I finally wrote the next chapter! So I hope you like it and please don't forget to review!   
  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Akima sat in a cave with the unconscious Kusanagi. She stared at him, thinking about his memories. She wanted to know the truth. The real truth about herself. It's kept hidden from her, but why? Why must it be hidden? Shouldn't she know her past and who she really is? There is so many questions, but no answers. She was at a standstill.   
  
"Momiji…" Kusanagi whimpered, still unconscious. "Momiji, I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I--"   
  
Akima stood up and walked towards him. She leaned over him, staring at his face. His lips stared to quiver and his eyelids twitched as if he was trying to open them. She placed her hand over the mitama that was engraved in the middle of his chest. She felt his life energy increasing and becoming more powerful. The Arigami's plans are going just as they expected them to. Maybe a little too well.  
  
Kusanagi's eyes slowly opened. He looked up to see Akima's face beaming down at him. He wasn't sue how he knew her, since he doesn't remember her at all. He just knew. Just like he knew about the Arigami. All that information was already settled in his brain. It's as if he knew about it from the day he was born.  
  
He reached for his forehead. His head throbbed from all the probing Akima and Murakumo had done to erase his memory of protecting the Kushinada and his feelings for Momiji. All of that was gone and replaced with new ones. Ones of hate and centuries of loyally fighting for the Arigami. He only knew of those times and he shunned from the others.  
  
"You've finally awoken from your deep sleep, Kusanagi," Akima said with a sly grin extending across her face. "It's time for you to join the Arigami again. We have big plans for you. "  
  
He blinked. "Kushinada… Must kill the Kushinada."  
  
She nodded. "And you will, very soon. But before then, I have a special present for you." She put her hand in the middle of her chest and pressed down. A blue light shone through her hand and encircled them. She flinched a little, but she didn't shed a single tear. The blue mitama uprooted from her skin and fell into her palm. She placed it on his stomach. The mitama embedded itself into his skin. He was no longer an imperfect soul. He was now a full-fledged Arigami.   
  
He clenched his fists as the energy raced through his veins. The power he felt was overwhelming, not like anything he ever felt before. "The power I feel is incredible. I'm now a complete soul."  
  
"Yes. You are," she said, out of breath. "Now you may go do your new duty. But please be aware that there are others out there who destroy the Arigami. They are called the TAC. They have anti-Arigami weapons that can easily kill you, but I promise that they won't touch you."  
  
He grinned and stood up. "I will honor the Arigami faithfully," he said, and faded away like a hologram.  
  
Akima leaned against the stone platform Kusanagi was resting on. She was puffing breathlessly. Her giving up her mitama took a lot of strength from her.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that," a voice snickered from the darkness. "It's not like you to be too nice."  
  
She looked up to see a figure standing in the dark shadows of the room. "Step out, minstrel. Show yourself! I command you to!"  
  
Laughter filled the air, taunting her like ghosts. She ignored it and stared into the darkness that surrounded her. Suddenly, a figure stepped out. She strained her eyes to see them better. Finally, her eyes adjusted to the dark and she could see who it was. It was Murakumo.  
  
"Murakumo," she moaned, and laid back on the slab of stone. "I should've known it was you."  
  
He walked closer to her. "Akima, why did you give up one of your mitamas?"  
  
She smiled. "He needed it. He's not as strong with only seven of them."  
  
"He'll be fine," he assured, and touched her forehead. "Now get some rest, because you're going to need it."  
  
--  
  
Momiji woke up in her bedroom. She sat up and placed her hand over her forehead. Her head throbbed in an unbearable pain and her muscles felt weak. She didn't understand it. Why did she feel so terrible? Why can't she remember what happened? She tried to look back, but something stopped her. It was as if a wall the size of the Great Wall of China was in her path. And she wasn't able to reach the top of it without falling to the hard ground.  
  
"Momiji? What did you do to yourself?" she asked herself, rubbing her temples clockwise. "I feel as if I have a hang-over the size of Japan."  
  
The only thing she remembered was being in Kunikida's office talking about Kusanagi and then running down the hall, because somebody was chasing her. It was---She doesn't remember who it was. All her memories were jumbled together like one big ball of knots. She couldn't untie them. She couldn't find the right root to start with.  
  
"Momiji…" the wind whispered.  
  
She looked outside her open window. Her curtains unfurled in the wind as if they were dancing with the wind. The night sky painted the landscape with blackness and the moon added a silver tint to the shadows. An eerie silence filled the air, which caused a chill to run up and down her spine.   
  
She pulled the blankets up to her face. "Is anyone there?" she said in a trembling voice. "If someone's there, please answer me."  
  
No answer, not a single thing stirred. The wind whipped around her humbly as if it was someone's breath gently blowing on her.   
  
"Please," she pleaded. "If you're trying to scare me, you've already succeeded."  
  
Suddenly there was a creak on her windowsill. She got so scared that she threw the covers over her head and tightly closed her eyes. Whenever she's scared, she always seems to end up under her covers. She liked to think of them as her protective shield, even though they were only made of cotton and some other soft material. She just wished Kusanagi would protect her just like her blankets: being next to her while she sleeps and waking up to him in the morning.  
  
"I'm not trying to scare you, Momiji," a familiar voice said. He sounded just like--  
  
"Kusanagi?!" she exclaimed, taking the covers off her head. It was him. Kusanagi.   
  
He grinned. The same dopey grin that made her believe he was up to something. "Yeah. It's me, all right."  
  
She smiled. But as she did, she realized how mad she was at him for standing her up. She crossed her arms and turned her head. "I'm mad at you, Kusanagi. I don't know if I could forgive you."  
  
"What did I ever do to displease you?" he asked.  
  
She widened her eyes and glared at him. "You stood me up, Kusanagi! It may not be a big deal from where you come, but here it's really wrong and mean."  
  
He gave her a strange look. [What the hell is she talking about? No wonder why Murakumo wants her dead…I would, too, if I had to put up with her.]  
  
She tilted her head and looked at him contently. He was different. His eyes were empty with no feeling and his actions were so unlike the Kusanagi she knew and loved. It was as if he was a different person, like a separate version of himself that she has never seen before.   
  
Kusanagi clenched his fists as he walked closer to her. A grin lay lazily across his face and his eyes twinkled in fortitude. He had one mission and that was to capture the Kushinada and bring her back to the Arigami.  
  
"Kusanagi?" Momiji said in a soft voice that seemed to echo in the wind. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
He grinned and reached out to her. "You must come with me, Kushinada."  
  
She pushed his hand away and stood up. "I will not come with you, Kusanagi. "You're acting weird and I'm mad at you."  
  
He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to his body. "You are needed by the Arigami, Kushinada. You have no other choice than to come with me. So stop struggling and give up."  
  
"Let me go!" she shouted, trying to get him to let go of her. "Please, let me go!"  
  
Momiji continued to squirm away from his tight grasp on her arm. She tried to pry his hand from her arm, but she couldn't. It stuck to her arm like super glue. She looked up at him and grimaced at the hate in his eyes. He no longer was the same Kusanagi. All the things that she loved about him were gone and were replaced with a stranger. A stranger that she hated.  
  
"Stop your scuffling and admit defeat," he said in a stern voice. "There is no use trying to fight a battle that the Arigami have already won."  
  
She looked up at him and frowned. "I'm sorry that it has come to this, Kusanagi," she said, and kicked him in the shin. He let go of her arm and crouched over. She took the opportunity and ran out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
She ran into the kitchen, her bare feet smacking the linoleum floor, where she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. On the counter sat Kaede, grinning wickedly at her. Momiji stepped back, not once taking her eye off her.   
  
"Kaede?" she said. "What do you want?"  
  
She jumped off the counter and walked towards her. "Well, Momiji, I've come to take you with me. And unlike Kusanagi, I won't let you get away so easily."  
  
Momiji shook her head. "No, I won't let you!"  
  
Kaede smiled and lifted up a remote control that was shaped like a triangle. "I'm sorry, but you see this remote? Earlier this afternoon, I put you in a trance and I was able to put a transmitter on the back of your neck. So I now completely control every movement you make."  
  
Momiji reached behind her neck. She felt a piece of metal fused to the part of her neck where her hairline started. "Oh my God. Why are you doing this?"  
  
She shrugged. "This wouldn't have happened if you damn humans didn't exist, as well as the Arigami," she said through gritted teeth. "Let's just say you're going to pay for your fellow humans' sins."  
  
She turned around and started to run, but Kaede pressed a button and she fell to the ground, unconscious. As soon as she did, Kusanagi stepped into the room.  
  
"Kaede," he whispered. "You're not leaving with her without a fight."  
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please Review! 


	6. Traitor

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Hi everyone! I hope you like this chapter and please review!   
  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Kaede grinned and stepped over Momiji, who was still out cold on the floor. She walked closer to Kusanagi with long strides. He stared at her, without taking his eyes off of her. He watched her every move, so she wouldn't have a chance to trick or even deceive him. She was the other Kushinada after all, which meant that she was his enemy. But he had to worry more about her than Momiji, since she was a greater threat. And that she was after Momiji, too.  
  
She started stroke his cheek with her finger, but he jerked his face back, grabbing her arm. "Kusanagi, you used to love it when I touched your face. Or would you rather have my sister do it instead?" she said, glaring at him. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind that, now would you?"  
  
He lifted a brow. "I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, Kushinada, but I won't fall for your tricks. I'm much more stronger than that."  
  
"I know you are," she said with a sultry smile. She stepped closer to him and placed her arms on his biceps. "You were the only one who understood me when I was sad or felt adrift from the whole world. We have a connection, you and me. We're the same like two peas in a pod. It's just too bad that we'll have to kill each other before we actually realize it."  
  
He pushed her away. "We're not the same, Kushinada," he snapped, and moved over to Momiji. "I am not linked to a powerless god as you are."  
  
She darted her eyes at him like daggers. "Susana-oh is my god and a powerful one he is," she hissed, pulling the back of his red jacket. "He has given me the ability to use my Kushinada powers in a way to help Japan overcome it's suffering. He has given me more than the Arigami has ever given you."  
  
He turned to her and said, "The Arigami will overrule Susana-oh. You and Susana-oh cheated the Arigami, and for that we'll make sure you never see your plans come in to action."  
  
"Foolish, Kusanagi, you're just a tool for the Arigami. Once they're done using you, they'll push you off to the side and ignore you," she said. "Trust me on this."  
  
"I would sooner die than to trust an enemy," he said, and pushed her to the side. She fell to the floor, landing hard. He grunted and continued to walk over to Momiji. He bent down and scooped her in his arms with such ease as if she only weigh an ounce. He then turned to Kaede, who had trouble sitting up, due to the stinging pain she felt in her arms and legs. "See, Kushinada? This is why I rather the Arigami over your god. You are helpless against me. I'm the wolf and you're the frightened rabbit with nowhere to go but to its death."  
  
She finally managed to sit up. "Leave my sister here, Kusanagi. She is of no use to you. She's not fully mutated to be the Kushinada yet. She can't even create the Kushinada Pulse."  
  
He smirked. "That may be so, but when she dies, Susana-oh will be killed along with her."  
  
"And so will the Arigami," she pointed out.  
  
"It's a risk we'll take," he said, and opened the kitchen door. "I will see you again, Kushinada. Very soon."  
  
"I'll take that as a promise," she said, and disappeared into the thin air.  
  
Kusanagi grinned. "Don't break it," he whispered, and then took off into the dark forest, filled with unknown dangers that lurked in the shadows of the night.  
  
--  
  
The next day at the TAC building, things were hectic; a little more frantic than usual. Momiji was missing and new Arigami have appeared all over Japan. And not only are the Arigami invading Japan, but also plants that curl into mitamas, like those that are on Kusanagi, are scattered all over the country. Japan is slowly turning into the world that existed 3.5 billion years ago, long before men even breathed a dose of oxygen and way before they walked the land. A country-wide forest.  
  
"Any information on the whereabouts of Momiji?" Yaegashi asked.  
  
"You make it sound like she's lost or something," Kome said, wiping off her gun. "If she was lost, we would be able to find her. But she isn't. She was kidnapped, even though she's not a kid, and then taken somewhere we can't get to. Like another world or something."  
  
He blushed and went back to his typing on the computer. "Sorry, Kome," he said meekly.  
  
She was about to forgive him when someone stepped into the room. They both turned to see Akima standing in the doorway. The smile on her face was obviously forced, but she didn't care. She didn't care if they liked her or not. All she cared about was finding out their plans to defeat the Arigami. Other than that, they were insignificant to her and to the Arigami.  
  
"Hello Kome," Akima said, and then smiled at Yaegashi. "It's been a while since we've last seen each other. I was starting to think you were hiding from me, Yaegashi."  
  
He swallowed hard and pulled on his shirt collar that seemed to be getting tighter every time she batted her eyes and smiled in a flirty way. "I--I wasn't hiding. You jus---just haven't been here t--to see me--I mean, us," he stuttered nervously.  
  
Kome rolled her eyes. She suddenly was irritated--maybe even jealous--over the way he was acting. He was acting like a twelve-year-old in front of a supermodel or something: stuttering, tugging on his shirt, blushing, and other things she didn't want to know about. It didn't surprise her, though. It's not the first time he's ever been like this in front of a pretty girl, and it won't be the last. But the thing that did surprise her was that for some reason, she felt jealous that he never acted like this way over her.  
  
"Yaegashi," Kome said, and stood up. "I'm leaving."  
  
He turned to her with a surprised look on his face. "Where are you going?"  
  
She walked to the door and then said, "I have to look for Momiji. It's my job as a member of the TAC."  
  
"Do you want Akima and me to come with you?" he asked.  
  
She looked at him, considering the thought. But when she saw Akima roll her eyes, she changed her mind and shook her head. "No, that's all right, Yaegashi. I can do it all by myself. You stay here just in case she calls or comes back."  
  
She left, leaving them alone in the room. She wanted to go back in, but her body pulled her away from it. Her mind was set on finding Momiji, but her heart was set on Yaegashi. She couldn't believe it, but it was true. She wanted to stay with him and for them to be together.   
  
She leaned her back against the door and let out a long sigh. "I'm such an idiot," she said to herself, and left down the long corridor in search of her friend.   
  
--  
  
"Akima, stop!" Yaegashi shouted. "Get off of me! Now!"  
  
She was pinning him to the floor by holding his arms down to his sides and straddling his stomach. He tried to push her off, but the weight on his arms and stomach kept him fastened to the floor like glue. He tried to scream, but the pressure on his stomach was too great for him to even let him breathe.   
  
"What are you doing?" he asked in short breaths.  
  
She grinned and lifted a small needle from her pocket. She pushed lightly on the end of it, making a little bit of the liquid inside of it to shoot out. She then poked his skin with it, but it didn't break his skin. She just held it there, threatening him with it.  
  
Yaegashi eyed the needle nervously. "What a-are you gonna do wi--with that?"  
  
"This my dear, Yaegashi, is going to make you tell me everything," she replied with malice in her eyes. "And I assure you that it will."   
  
"You're not really a member of the TAC, are you?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "Of course not! A devoted member of the Arigami , such as I, would never stray to something as meaningless as the TAC!"  
  
"The Arigami?" he repeated. "You're with the Arigami?!?"  
  
"Wow, you are the smart one, aren't you?" she said sarcastically. "But I'm afraid that you're not smart enough."  
  
His eyes widened in fear. The thought of her being with the Arigami never crossed his mind. It was actually the farthest from his mind. [But I guess it's always the person you least expect.]  
  
"Now, Yaegashi, you're going to tell me everything the TAC has planned," she said, lightly pressing the needle against his skin. "Or I will inject poison into your veins."   
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please Review! 


	7. Jaded

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Hey guys! FanFiction.net is finally up, so I get to update this story! I hope you like it, and please review!  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
"Kusanagi, you have served the Arigami well," Murakumo said, patting his shoulder.   
  
Kusanagi knelt before him, bowing his head. "Thank you, Lord Murakumo," he said. "I'm glad I please our god, the Arigami."  
  
Murakumo turned to Momiji, who was tied to a tree trunk by vines. And surrounding her, there was a ceramic field that erected from the soggy ground. Their plans were set, but something didn't seem right. Everything was coming so easily for them, as if someone were handing them their plans on a silver platter. Murakumo didn't know if he should feel suspicious of Kaede and Susana-oh or if he should just forget about them. He knows that they are no threat to the Arigami, but something inside of him made him weary about them.  
  
"You may stand, Kusanagi," he said.   
  
He stood and walked over to his side. He stared up at Momiji. Her head fell limp on her shoulder with a look of sadness expanding on her face. Her clothes were ripped to shreds as the vines tightly squeezed her body. She looked like a rag doll that some kid had been torturing. And in a way, it made him feel sorry for her. He didn't know why, he just did.   
  
"Murakumo," he said, shrugging off the idea of him feeling sorry for the Kushinada. "Why is this Kushinada more important than the other one?"  
  
He turned to him. "This Kushinada isn't set in her ways like the other one is. Kaede was once with us and was loyal to our plans. But she had visions of granger and went against the Arigami. She wants the whole country and the world to become one big rainforest. It's the Arigami's vision, too, but she had other plans that she hid from us. Not only does she want to rid of the human race, but she also wants to annihilate the Arigami as well."   
  
Kusanagi swallowed hard and looked back at Momiji. "Then what do we need her for?" he questioned. "She is no threat to us."  
  
He grinned. "Bait," he replied, and started to walk into the depths of the forest. "Keep an eye on her, Kusanagi. The TAC will be here soon. I just know they will."  
  
Kusanagi watched as Murakumo disappeared into the forest. As he stood there, he heard a soft moan come from Momiji. He turned to her and raised his eyebrow. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she awoke from her deep sleep. She slowly lifted her head and looked around her. Fright covered her face once she realized she was tied to a tree and was surrounded by a ceramic field.  
  
"Help!" she shouted. "Somebody please help me!"  
  
He smirked and sat down on the large boulder that was behind him. "Don't yell, Kushinada. Your voice stings my ears when you scream."  
  
She looked down at him. "Kusanagi! Where am I? And what do you want with me?" she asked.  
  
He shook his head. "I don't want you," he said. "You're just the Arigami's trophy."  
  
"What have they done to you, Kusanagi?" she asked as tears slowly welled up in her swollen eyes. "You're not the same anymore. They turned you into a monster."  
  
"This is me," he said, pointing to himself. "I am a devoted soldier of the Arigami. It is my choice, foolish Kushinada, they did not use force against me."  
  
She shook her head. She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that he was no longer the Kusanagi who used to teased her about her kiddy underwear and made fun of her flat chest. Somewhere deep inside of him, under all the layers of evil, the Kusanagi she loved was still there. There just has to be.  
  
"I won't believe it," she shrieked. Tears slowly fell from her eyes as she stared at Kusanagi. "You're not a monster, Kusanagi! You're not an Arigami!"  
  
He walked up to her and glared into her eyes. He reached up to her cheek and stroked it. "If I was a monster I would've killed you already, Kushinada."  
  
"That's not the reason why you didn't kill me yet," she croaked.  
  
He smirked. He was strangely amused and interested in what she had to say. "And why is that? Amuse me, will you?"  
  
"You didn't kill me because you…still…love me," she said with force.  
  
Anger unraveled Kusanagi. He couldn't believe what she was saying. He would never love the Kushinada. He wouldn't betray the Arigami in that way. He'd rather die by his enemies sword than to die knowing he betrayed the Arigami.   
  
"I would never love the enemy," he said sternly, and turned his back to her. "Never."  
  
"Then you aren't the Kusanagi I used to love," she said. "The real Kusanagi would never say that. And he would never forget why he was put on the earth."  
  
He didn't say anything after that. He just sat back down on the boulder and waited for Murakumo or Akima to return or maybe the TAC would get there before them.  
  
--  
  
"Yaegashi," Akima said, still straddling him. "Are you going to tell me the TAC's plans or do I have to force it out of you?"  
  
He shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Akima. I only work on the computer!"  
  
She narrowed her eyes at him. "But why do I think you're lying to me?" she asked, and poked him again with the needle. "You better tell me, Yaegashi. I won't give you any mercy when I kill you."  
  
He swallowed hard. He didn't want to die, especially not by her. He wanted to live and finally be able to tell Kome that he really did like her. But if he doesn't do what Akima demanded of him, he'd never get to do what he never had the courage to do before. So he took in a deep breath and slowly let it seep out of his dry lips.   
  
He opened his mouth and started to tell her everything. But when he looked up at her, her face was turned in the opposite direction with a gaping look on her face. He followed her stare and saw Kaede sitting in the same chair that Kome sat in before. Her face was bruised and a bandage was wrapped around her upper arm. She looked different since he last saw her. She looked as if she was in a brawl or something.  
  
"Hello Kaede," Akima said, and slid off of Yaegashi. "What the hell are you doing here? If you're looking for someone to be your friend, go to the psychiatric ward in the local hospital. I'm sure you'll find someone just like you."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You always have some witty comment up your sleeve, Akima. But it's just sad that you know all of those witty remarks and you don't even know who you really are," Kaede said, smirking.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Akima lied. "I know exactly who I am."  
  
"Yeah, that's why you can't remember one thing about your past," she said, and stood up. "Come on Akima. Tell me about your past. Tell me about your memories. Come on! Tell me!"  
  
Kaede grabbed Akima's arm. "Why are you denying it, Akima?" she asked in a low hiss. "Stop lying to yourself. You know I'm right just admit it."  
  
Akima didn't make her let of her arm. She only looked away. She knew that Kaede was right, but she didn't want to admit it. She had no idea who or what she was. She wanted to know. She really did, but a cloud still hung heavy over her mind, like a barrier. It was an unmovable like steel wall blocking her path. She couldn't climb it, nor could she break her way through it. It was at a permanent standstill.  
  
"I know who you are, Akima. I know everything there is to possibly know about you," Kaede said, and dug her nails into her skin. "If you join Susana-oh, I will tell you everything. I promise I will."  
  
She shook her head and pushed her away. "Murakumo will tell me," Akima stated. "He'll tell me everything."  
  
"I'm sure he will," Kaede said. "Now tell me where Momiji is!"  
  
She shook her head. "I would never tell you where she is," she said, and grinned. "But I assure you that Kusanagi is with her, waiting for his chance to kill her. Once he does, we will kill him, so you'll feel the pain of loosing two people you love."  
  
Enraged in anger, Kaede pushed Akima hard against the wall. Her head smacked against it and she fell to the floor. "You're worthless. You're nothing," Kaede said. "You'll always be just another part of Murakumo."  
  
Akima clenched her stomach and looked up at Kaede. Pain rushed through her body like a roller coaster, fast and wild. "I will not forgive…you for this," she said, and disappeared.  
  
Kaede sat back down in the chair and grinned at Yaegashi, whom was against the wall holding his knees against his chest.   
  
"Thanks for stopping her," he said in a trembling voice.  
  
She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "What makes you think I cam here to save you?"  
  
He shrugged. "You came before she got a chance to kill me."  
  
She laughed. "Don't flatter yourself. I would never save a worthless human," she said, and disappeared into a cloud of thick smoke.  
  
Yaegashi got up to his feet and ran to Kunikida's office to tell him what had just happened.  
  
--  
  
Akima returned to the forest. She rested against a tree trunk that was close to where Momiji was. She then looked over at Kusanagi, who sat contently on a boulder. She wanted to get up, but her stomach ached so much. She felt as if someone were squeezing her insides together till they burst. It was like cruel torture.  
  
"Akima?" a voice said in a worried tone.  
  
She looked up to see Murakumo standing before her. She tried to smile, but the pain that she was feeling wouldn't allow her to. "Murakumo?"  
  
He kneeled before her and took her hands in his. "Are you all right? What happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure," she said in a low huff. "Something happened when Kaede pushed me against the wall. All my insides came together, forming a ball in my stomach."  
  
"I'm sorry that I made you go alone," he said. "I won't let her do this to you again."  
  
Akima drew in a quick breath and noticed something. She blinked, just to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. He actually shed a single tear. It was the first time she had ever seen him cry or at least shed a tear. That was when she knew that he actually cared for her; more than she would ever know.  
  
She smiled and wiped the tear away from his cheek. "We will fight side by side right?"  
  
He nodded. "Of course," he replied.  
  
"I'm glad," she said, and pointed to the horizon, where the sun slowly fell behind the mountains. "The day is coming to an end."  
  
He turned his head to the sunset. "The apocalypse is coming and they don't even know it yet," Murakumo whispered into the wind. "Tomorrow… We'll finally rid Japan's burning tears."   
  
--  
  
To be continue…  
  
Please review! 


	8. Synthetic Being, Real Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Hey everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I hope you like it and please don't forget to review!  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
"I'm freezing," Momiji admitted as her teeth chattered. "Is there anyway the Arigami will make it warmer? You did say it could grant you anything."  
  
Kusanagi looked up at her and glared. "You never shut up, do you?"  
  
She shook her head. "No. That's why I'm called a chatterbox in school," she replied. "So…can you do something about it?"  
  
He grunted and slid off of the rock. He began to pick up small logs and sticks, and then started to build a tiny pyramid of wood. Once he was sure it was sturdy, he lit it with a zap of energy from his finger. Flames started to intertwine with the wood, creating a crackling noise.  
  
Momiji smiled as the fire's heat poured over her body like warm honey. "Thank you, Kusanagi. I really appreciate it."  
  
He shrugged. "Don't think I did it for you, because I didn't. I was starting to get a little cold myself and the Arigami doesn't need the Kushinada to die just yet."  
  
She frowned. She didn't like how he was acting toward her. She hated it. She wanted him to be the same Kusanagi he was before he turned into just one of the Arigami's many marionettes. And for some reason unknown to her, she has a feeling that they will clip his strings when they're through using him. The hardest thing about that, is that she can't stop it from happening.   
  
"I feel it," he said, more to himself than to Momiji.   
  
"Feel what, Kusanagi?" she asked.  
  
"Japan is crying. She wants to be free from all her suffering and all her grieving. But you humans won't let her breathe clean air," he paused. "She wants to thrive, not die. But you won't let her. You humans deserve everything you get."  
  
"You feel that," she said, breathing hard, "but you can't feel anything for me. Why, Kusanagi? Why can't you feel my suffering or my grief?"  
  
Kusanagi grabbed his chest as if he were in pain. He never felt this way before. He knew it's forbidden for him to feel this way, especially about the enemy. It was treason that has killed many before him who have felt something for the enemy. But he didn't feel threatened. He felt as if it were right for him to feel this way. It was like destiny or something.   
  
"Come back to me, please," she pleaded. "Kusanagi, you can't stay away from me forever."   
  
He stood up and paced back and forth nervously. [Why are you letting these feelings take over? Why aren't you strong enough to overcome them? Why do I want them to stay?]  
  
He was about to say something, when there was a rustle in forest. He turned around. His eyes shifted as he scanned over the vast woodland. He didn't see anything suspicious. He only heard the rustling sound that got louder and louder with each passing moment. The sound seemed to circle them, like a carousel at a carnival.   
  
"What is that, Kusanagi?" Momiji asked in a frightened tone.   
  
He walked up to her and turned his back to her. "I don't know, but shut up," he snapped, and then erected the blades from his arms. He stood in front of Momiji, ready to protect her from whatever danger that lurked in the forest. For some reason, this felt familiar to him, as if he did this all of his life. He shook the thought out of his head and continued to scan the trees and shrubbery.  
  
The sound suddenly stopped, leaving an eerie silence suspended in the air. Nothing made a sound, not even a cricket chirped. Everything stayed silent for that full minute that seemed more like an hour.   
  
"Kusanagi!" Momiji shouted.  
  
He quickly turned around to see dark figures hiding behind the tree. "Who's there?" he asked with evil in his voice. He slowly stepped around the tree. He suddenly jumped back as five dark figures stepped out in front of him. They walked toward him, holding weird-looking weapons. "Who are you?"  
  
The figures stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight. The light swept over them, revealing their faces. It was the TAC.   
  
"Kusanagi, we're so glad we found you," Kunikida said, and turned to the tree. "Momiji! Are you all right?"  
  
She shrugged. "I've been better."  
  
Kome and Yaegashi started to cut the vines around Momiji's body, when Kusanagi stopped them. He took their knives and broke them in half. "You will not help the Kushinada," he said.  
  
They looked at him strangely. "What's the matter with you, Kusanagi?" Kome asked. "Why did you do that?"   
  
Momiji shook her head. "He's not the same Kusanagi," she said. "He's with the Arigami now."  
  
Takeuchi walked up to him and pointed a gun to his chest. "If that is true, you are no longer an ally of ours."  
  
He glared down at her. Her eyes were filled with fright, but she tried to hide it with her pinched expression. He grinned. He was glad that she was scared of him. It gave him power over her. "Oh really? Well, I assure you that I am the enemy. As well as you are to me."  
  
She held her finger over the trigger, ready to shoot, but she couldn't gain enough courage to push it. It was as if something were pulling on her finger to stop her. She couldn't shoot a friend. Even though he's on the Arigami side now, she can't do it. The memories of him from the past wouldn't let her.  
  
He leaned his face toward her. "Pull it," he coaxed in a quiet voice. "I dare you."  
  
She shook her head and put the gun back in her holster. "I won't, Kusanagi."  
  
He shrugged. "It's your loss," he said, and pushed her to the ground. "Never hesitate."  
  
The others crowded around Takeuchi and helped her up to her feet. They glared at Kusanagi with arrows in their eyes. Even Momiji looked disgusted with him, though she didn't show is as much as they did. He hated the looks on their faces. Each look hurt him more than the next, as if they were stabbing his heart one right after another. It made him feel appalled with himself. And that made him hate himself even more.   
  
He didn't know why he felt like this. He's not even supposed to feel this way. He's preordained to hate the TAC and the Kushinada, so why does he feel like this? Why does he wish he could help them with defeating the Arigami and Susana-oh?  
  
"Kusanagi, if you don't let Momiji down, I'll shoot you," Kome said, aiming her gun at him. "I'm not as softhearted as Takeuchi is. So I will do it without faltering."  
  
--  
  
Akima sat with Murakumo, gazing at the field of stars in the sky. "Murakumo?" she said. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to."  
  
He turned to her and nodded. "Ask me now, because you never know what the future holds for us, Akima."  
  
"Don't talk like that. It isn't funny at all," she scolded, and the looked at the ground. "Kaede said something to me that was very strange."  
  
"Kaede says a lot of strange things," he said, and leaned back against a tree. "It's because she's a strange person and she likes to play games with people's minds. It's her nature."  
  
She shook her head. "No, not this time. I really think she was hinting at something," she said, and looked up at him. "She said something about me being a part of you. What did she mean by that, Murakumo? Why would she say something like that to me?"  
  
He shrugged and stayed silent. He looked as if he were hiding something from her. He was keeping her ignorant of the situation. He didn't want her to know the real truth. The truth that he has kept from her ever since her creation. He never planned on telling her. He thought he'd be able to keep it from her forever, but now he's not so sure.   
  
She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "Murakumo, please don't keep things from me. Don't bottle yourself up, you're not exactly a genie in a magic lamp. So tell me."  
  
He looked into her eyes. He couldn't keep it from her anymore. He had to tell her. "First you have to promise you won't get mad at me."  
  
She let go of his arm and backed away a few steps. "I promise," she said. "I'd never be mad at you, Murakumo."  
  
"Right." He cleared his throat and took in a deep breath. "Akima, the reason you can't remember anything in the past is because you never had a present, nor do you have a future. You only have a present."   
  
She narrowed her eyebrows at him. "What do you mean? I'm not quite following you."  
  
"What I mean is that you have no permanence in this world," he said, standing up. "You are a creation. A synthetic machine."  
  
She looked down at the ground. "I'm not a real Arigami, then?" she asked.  
  
"You are real, Akima," he said, and grabbed a hold of her shoulders. "You have a part of me in you; the raging blood of the Arigami. That is why she said that. But even though you're not a pure Arigami, you have the heart of one and that makes you real enough for me."  
  
She looked into his eyes. They were full of sincerity and a sweetness she has never seen before. Maybe he was telling her the truth and that he really meant that she was real enough for him.   
  
"I'm sorry I never told you," he admitted. "I thought I would be protecting you by not telling you the truth."  
  
She smiled and brushed away his hair that feel into his face. "It's all right. It doesn't matter to me anymore. The only thing that matters is that we foil Kaede and Susana-oh's plans."  
  
He nodded. "And it matters that we do it together."  
  
Their eyes met like magnets attracting towards each other. And for that moment, nothing made a single sound, except for their rampant hearts beating in unison. They leaned in towards each other. Their lips hovered over each other in a teasing way. Then finally, their lips met. Pleasure flourished inside of their bodies like a blooming flower. And no matter what happens in the future, Akima knew they would always have that kiss.  
  
--  
  
In the distance, a loud explosion was heard…  
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please Review! 


	9. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters….  
  
Hey everyone! I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this up. You see, the disk I had it on committed suicide and I lost all my stories that I had on it. So, I had to rewrite this chapter all over again, so it may not as be as good as I hoped. Please review and tell me what you think!  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Smoke rose in to the sky like a loud grown echoing from the deep depths of hell. Fire dangerously licked the sky, curling it's fingers towards the heavens above. Nothing was safe, not even those of the Arigami, whose powers were strong enough to defeat even the toughest militia. Destruction was everywhere, flooding across the land like lava spewing down an erupting volcano. Not only was the forest being destroyed, but so was the little hope people bared inside of them.  
  
Explosions could be heard across the land, as if something evil was laughing maliciously over a microphone. A ring of smoke and fire encircled the forest, as if a large asteroid crashed into the land. But only, it wasn't an asteroid that caused this explosion. No, it was something far more dangerous than that. It was something that had the power to destroy everything in sight.   
  
Murakumo and Akima sat on a grassy hill, watching the fire and smoke mingling in the sky. They didn't know what had happened. It couldn't have been an asteroid or something from space, since they would have seen it entering the Earth's atmosphere.   
  
"What the hell was that?" Akima asked, quickly getting to her feet.   
  
Murakumo stood up and stared at the treetops. Devastation extended for as far as the naked eye could see, unyielding from ceasing. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was unbelievable, even to him, whom has seen enough obliteration to last a whole lifetime.  
  
"I'm not sure," Murakumo said, and let out a snort. "But I believe it's a certain sign that the war has started."  
  
Akima sucked in air, letting a faint scream to escape her mouth. "War?" she repeated.   
  
Honestly, she didn't want to go in to war. It's not that she was afraid to fight, because she wasn't, she's actually very brave and strong when it comes to fighting in a war. It's just that she knew war meant that she may never see Murakumo again and to her, that was worse than death. She wanted to run away and be with him forever, though she would never admit it out loud.  
  
She wanted to beg for him to forget about his loyalty to the Arigami and just be with her. But she knew he could never to that. He's bound to the Arigami like flower to a stem: he couldn't survive with out them. Not even love could tear him away from his duties.  
  
"Akima, I want you to go down the hill and in to the forest to see what has happened," he said, turning to her. "I will go to the camp where Kusanagi is holding the Kushinada."  
  
She nodded. "I will."  
  
Murakumo looked at her and then started to walk away.  
  
She stared after him, wondering on whether or not this would be the last time she'll see him. Her feelings for him took over her body and made her run after him. She grabbed the back of his jacket. He stopped, tensing his muscles.  
  
With his back still facing her, he said, "What is it, Akima?"  
  
She took in a deep breath, holding back the tears that wanted to fall from her swollen eyes. "Promise me I'll see you again," she said. "Give me some hope for our future."   
  
"Akima," he started, and turned to her. He touched her cheek, looking into her eyes intensely. "I can't promise you that, it would be promising the impossible." His eyes were sincere, telling her that he was trying his hardest to be truthful. "But what I can promise you is that I promise I'll always be with you, even if it's not physically."  
  
She knew that was all he could say. "Good-bye, Murakumo," she said, leaving hi with a smile, even though she was crying inside. She started down the hill, feeling his eyes fixed on her back. She wanted to look back at him so badly, but it would only make leaving him harder than it already is. So she kept her eyes locked on the forest ahead, ready to face whatever danger that laid in front of her, even if it meant never returning back to him ever again.  
  
--  
  
Kusanagi jumped from treetop to treetop through the vast forest. All he heard were explosions, as if bombs were going off one by one. It was weird, though. He thought he would at least hear the desperate calls of birds or growls of scared animals. But he heard none of that, it was as if the animals and birds were dead or the quickly fled from the area all at once to escape danger.   
  
He got to the center of the forest and stopped. He kneeled on a large tree limb, scanning the forest. "What's going on?" he asked, as if expected the tree to answer him back.  
  
As he stared into the woods, he noticed something move. It looked like a tall green giant with spikes projecting from its shoulders. It was like something taken right out of a fairytale or maybe even a nightmare. Just when he thought he saw enough, he realized something was standing on top of the giant's head.   
  
[That hair. That white cape. That evil grin.] His body stiffened in contempt. [Kaede.]   
  
He tried his hardest to keep himself from attacking her. Now isn't the time to fight. He has a responsibility to protect the Kushinada, and to keep her from Kaede and Susana-oh. "It's not over, Kaede," he mumbled under his breath. "Not by a long shot." He took one last scornful look at her and then hurried back to the camp.  
  
Once he got there, he swiftly untied Momiji from the thick tree trunk and tightly grabbed her arm. "Hurry. Let's go," he said, tugging on her arm. "We can't stay here any longer."  
  
"Why?" Kome asked, standing up from a large boulder. "What's so wrong that we can't stay here?"  
  
He looked at them with an edgy look flashing in his eyes. "Kaede is coming this way. I doubt she will give mercy to anything in her way." He gave them each a deep stare and then started to walk away with Momiji. "I advise you to leave at once, but I don't care what you do."  
  
They didn't get very far, when Takeuchi said, while holding up her gun and aiming it at his back, "Wait. You can't take Momiji, Kusanagi. You're our enemy now."  
  
Kusanagi stopped and turned to her. "I can do what I want. I have strict orders to keep the Kushinada from those who threaten the Arigami's plans. So-"  
  
"I'll be fine," Momiji said, interrupting him. She put on an assuring smile. "Really."  
  
Kunikida stared at the both of them. He knew he could trust Momiji. He didn't know about Kusanagi, whom claims he's with the Arigami and evil as ever. But like the sympathetic person Kunikida is, he believed that a part of Kusanagi was still good. A part not even the Arigami could take over. Or at least hopes they couldn't.  
  
"Takeuchi, lower your gun," he said, and then looked at Momiji. "Go. We'll pack up our things and leave."  
  
Kusanagi tightly held onto Momiji and fled in to the forest, leaving the others behind.  
  
--  
  
Akima aimlessly walked down the cobblestone path that was lined with evergreen shrubbery and trees. Her surroundings seemed unusual, as if nothing had happened. The trees still bloomed with brightly colored leaves and the ground still laid unscathed. It made her think twice about the direction she is going. She wondered if she was heading away from the impact site, instead of moving towards it.  
  
As she walked, she noticed something familiar about the area she was in. "I've been here before," she said, eyeing the tree with carvings of animals on its trunk. "I've past that tree already."  
  
She stopped suddenly and moaned in frustration. She has been walking in circles for the past twenty minutes! She couldn't believe it. Why hadn't she noticed it before? But then, her mind was occupied worrying about Murakumo than it was worrying about how to get to the destruction site. How could she allow herself to be tangled in love's glutinous web? It wasn't like her to permit something as irrational as love to take over her mind…  
  
…although, she didn't mind it in a way. Love has a double meaning to her. Love for her work and love for…well, Murakumo. But in both instances, the degrees of it are both different in quantity and value. She loved working for the Arigami, she wouldn't want to do anything else in the whole world. Her other love, Murakumo, is just as important to her, maybe even more than that. He's everything she could ever want in a man: intriguing, handsome, dedicated, intelligent. The only thing, he's already in another relationship that will probably last forever, his correlation with the Arigami. The Arigami is the only thing standing in her way to have a real relationship with him. But not even she, a full-blooded soldier of the Arigami, could make him love her over the Arigami.   
  
"I'm such a fool," she scolded herself, stomping her foot in hatred for herself. "To think he could ever love me!"  
  
Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't think she could cry; she always believed she had a heart of ice. Maybe her love for Murakumo defrosted her heart and made her feel compassion, a feeling she thought she would never have.   
  
She started to run, tears falling off her face like rain on a car windshield. Her legs moved faster and faster, with her arms wildly pumping at her side. She didn't care where she was going, she just wanted to get out. She knew that she was running in circles, but somehow, she made herself believe that there was an end to it or an opening.   
  
But as she ran, she felt the feeling of someone watching her. The feeling made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She kept her head straight, while shifting her eyes back and forth, scanning over the forest. She didn't see anything, which didn't actually make her feel better about the whole situation. Even though she can't see the person or thing that was watching her, it doesn't mean they still can't see her. And that made her get an eerie feeling.  
  
Just when she thought nothing could slow her down, her mind started to wander, causing her to not concentrated on where she was going. The end result: her foot getting caught in an uprooted tree root and falling face-first to the ground.   
  
"Damn," she muttered to herself, and spitted out the dirt that settled into her mouth. She started to lift herself off the ground, but stopped when she saw a familiar pair of boots in front of her face. She looked up to the face that she hated the very sight of. "Kaede."  
  
Kaede laughed and kneeled down before her. "Reckless, Akima," she hissed with a conniving smile on her face. "You better enjoy the warm light of the sun, it will be your last. I promise you that."  
  
--  
  
Kusanagi held Momiji close to him as they ran down the dirt path, unknowing of what laid ahead of them.   
  
"Kusanagi," Momiji said, out of breath, "I think it's safe for us to walk now."  
  
He stopped and nodded to her. "I suppose you're right."  
  
They slowed their pace to a stroll, allowing them to catch their breath. Momiji couldn't help to wonder if Kusanagi was still set in his ways about him being with the Arigami and not loving her anymore. The thought of him not loving her anymore made her want to burst out in to tears. She hated for them not being as close as they were before he turned evil. She wanted to be with him, not be captured by him.  
  
"Momiji," he said. "What do you think about all this?"  
  
Her head quickly turned to him. [Did he just call me "Momiji?" He did! He called me by my name, instead of referring to me as the Kushinada. Does this mean he's back to normal?]  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"What do you think about the war?" he asked,  
  
She frowned. She wasn't thinking about the war. She only thought about him. He was all she ever thought about. "Kusanagi…" she started.  
  
He ignored her. "I think that the Arigami will win. Kaede and Susana-oh may be tough, but I assure you that their power is limited. The Arigami…"  
  
She couldn't listen anymore. She couldn't take it. She pulled him close to her body and planted her lips on his. She didn't care if he pushed her away or even slapped her. It wouldn't hurt her. The only thing that would is him not loving her.  
  
Kusanagi pushed her back a little and stared at her in confusion. "What are you doing?"   
  
She looked down in hurt. Not only did she make a fool of herself, but she also got rejected from the man she loved. She made a mistake by thinking he would feel the same way about her. The Kusanagi that she loved is gone, suffocated by the Arigami. And she knew that the old him will never come back.  
  
"You are weird," he said, and took her hand. "Come on, we have to get moving."  
  
As they walked, there was a rustling in the woods. Kusanagi quickly stood Momiji behind his back and raised the blade fins from his arms. "Come out, coward!" he shouted. "Show yourself!"  
  
And just then, a figure stepped out from the trees. When the figure stepped into the light, they could see who it was.  
  
"Murakumo…" Kusanagi said, and fell to his knees. "How long were you standing there?"  
  
He grinned. "Long enough, Kusanagi," he said. "Long enough."  
  
--  
  
To be continued…  
  
Please review! 


	10. A Sad Departure

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters.  
  
Hey everyone! I apologize for the long wait! I hope you guys like the story so far. I think I should end it soon, though. Anyway, please review!  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Murakumo stepped closer to Momiji and Kusanagi with a grin on his face. "I've finally found you," he said. "I was beginning to think you had already left the forest."  
  
Kusanagi shook his head, while Momiji stood behind him. "We left the campsite, since Kaede and her giant were coming towards us," he said.  
  
"That giant is Susana-oh," he said, and looked at Momiji. "They are coming for you."  
  
Momiji shuddered in fear. "F--For m-me?" she stuttered. "Why do they want me?"  
  
Murakumo only smiled and said, "So we won't use you as a sacrifice to ruin their plans." He walked closer to Kusanagi. "But if we used her as a sacrifice, it would be bad for both the Arigami and you, right Kusanagi?"  
  
Bewildered, Kusanagi stepped back, knocking into Momiji. She fell to the ground, letting out a loud yelp once she landed. He turned to her and stared down at her. Flashbacks flew through his head at deadly speeds, forbidding him to think straight. They were all of him and Momiji, being with each other. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, him protecting her from Arigami. They must have been his past, but he doesn't fully remember them. He knew that he wasn't dreaming up these images, since in the state of mind he's in, wouldn't permit him to think that way.   
  
Momiji blinked her eyes. "Kusanagi?"   
  
He didn't move as he kept his eyes locked on her. Flashback after flashback, he slowly became the person he was before he felt the Arigami were the supreme power. The person that fought against the Arigami. The same person that loved Momiji.  
  
As he bent down to help her up, there was a rustle in the woods and then a bolt of green light shot at them. Murakumo quickly pushed Kusanagi onto Momiji, and then blasted a bolt of his dark energy into the shrubbery. The sound of a body hitting the ground echoed through the forest.   
  
Everything after that moment went in slow motion. Murakumo vigilantly walked toward the shrubbery, where he had shot his energy. The shrubbery reached the height of 5 feet, so he could easily see right over it. While keeping his guard, he carefully looked over the shrubbery. The only sound that made noise after that was the croaks of frogs that were on their way to leave the forest.  
  
Murakumo leaped over the shrubbery and kneeled next to the body that lay half-dead. "I finally got you, Kaede," he said, and turned over the body.   
  
Once he saw her face he screamed the loudest scream ever heard. That face, that hair, those eyes. All of which that did not belong to Kaede, his original target. No, it was not her. It was the last person he would ever want to kill in cold blood. His beloved, Akima.  
  
He scooped her up in his arms, having her head rest on his shoulder. She felt cold, but he could still feel her breathing, although it was faint.   
  
"Akima?" he whispered, shaking her slightly. "Say something. Please."  
  
Akima's eyelids opened. She shifted her eyes to see Murakumo's face above her own. "Murakumo," she said softly, smiling. "I knew I would see you again."  
  
His eyes started to get watery, but he managed to keep tears from falling. He didn't want her to see him crying, since she would think he had lost all hope in her from recovering.   
  
"Where's Kaede?" she said, flinching a little as the pain slowly bit at every wound on her body. "She somehow got me pinned to the ground and started to attack me. I couldn't defend or protect myself. So I let her continue until I built up enough power and blew it full-force at her. She disappeared suddenly. Then I heard something in the woods over there, so I started to shoot, thinking it may be Kaede. But--"  
  
"It was Kusanagi and I with Momiji," he said, finishing her sentence. He tucked the hair that fell into her eyes behind her ear.  
  
Her eyes widened and she looked down at the hole in her chest, straight to the heart. Right then and there she knew that Murakumo was the one to hit her with energy. "Murakumo… You are not to blame for my carelessness."  
  
He shook his head. "You weren't careless," he said. "I was the careless one to let you go out all by yourself. You aren't as strong as you were when you had the other mitama. It's my fault for forgetting that."  
  
She smiled and lifted her hand to his face. "You win your battle, Murakumo," she said, as tears slowly rolled down her face. "I will be waiting on the other side for you."  
  
He squeezed her tightly to him. He never wanted to let go, because if he did, he knew he'd never be able to hold her again. He wanted to have that single moment suspend in the air like a helium balloon floating off into the sky, never to come back to touch the ground. But even a balloon looses it's ability to float…  
  
"I love you, Murakumo," she said so quietly that it was hard to hear her.  
  
He kissed her forehead. "I love you, too," he said.  
  
She smiled one last time and closed her eyes, releases a slow band of tears. Her breathing became slower and more far apart. After a few more breaths, she took her final one. She passed away right there, in his arms, where she was always meant to be.   
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please Review!  
  
--  
  
I know this was a really short chapter, but I promise to make a longer and more action packed chapter next time! 


	11. Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Seed or the characters…  
  
Hey everyone! I apologize for taking so long to get this up ^_^;; But the good news is that the story is almost over! I swear, this is becoming a novel lol. Anyway, I hope you like it and please review! Enjoy!   
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
A tear rolled down Momiji's face. She stood there, watching Murakumo cover Akima in leaves and dirt. She couldn't believe that Akima dying was the result of a petty quarrel against two sides of warfare. She didn't want to believe it, anyway. It was all too complex for her to even begin to understand what had been going through Susana-oh and Kaede's minds when they decided to start a war on Japan. And what about the Arigami? They have their own reasons, too. Reasons that were unknown to her. She didn't know what reasons were morally correct. Maybe neither are correct. Maybe they're both correct in their own ways… She didn't know. But what she did know is that in war, no matter what you're fighting for, it's wrong.  
  
She turned to Kusanagi, who looked as if he was in outer space. She slowly slipped her hand into his and leaned on his shoulder. "Kusanagi, I don't want to stay here any longer. I don't want to see anymore death. Please take me back. Please, I beg you."  
  
Kusanagi snapped out of his daze and looked down at her, since she was shorter than him. "I can not do that. It would be for the best interest of the Arigami if you stayed."  
  
Once those words sunk into her mind, she decided something for herself. For the first time since she has known him, she hated him. Not because he was evil. It was because he didn't love her enough to break from his curse. She let go of his hand and stepped away from him. He looked back at her in shock. She took no notice of his expression and began to walk away into the forest.   
  
"Momiji!" he called after her. "Come back!"  
  
She kept running in the same direction, never looking back. She wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. She couldn't take it anymore. So much pain, so much hurt, so much devastation. It was all because of war; a war that shouldn't have took place. And she couldn't help to think that it all started because of her. "It's my fault!" she cried to herself. "So much death has happened all because of me!" She wanted to die right there. She lost her friends, her hope, and her lover. According to her, she has nothing left. Nothing left to fight for, nothing to believe in, nothing to live for. So why exist at all?  
  
By now, her tears have swelled in her eyes, causing them to look puffy and red. She didn't care, though. She only cared about getting out of the forest and warn everyone about the impending danger coming their way.   
  
"Momiji!" a voice called out.   
  
She stopped in her tracks. It wasn't Kusanagi's voice. She knew that for sure. She turned around to see a group of figures coming her way. She squinted her eyes to make the group out. When she finally did, she realized who it was. It was the…TAC!  
  
A big smile grew on her face. They would never know how happy she was to see them. She ran towards them, her tears rolling from her eyes. She could feel a warm feeling inside of her. She know knew that her friends aren't dead, but a part of her still felt awful. She didn't think she would ever be able to get rid of it as long as Kusanagi is the way he is.  
  
Then suddenly, she stopped. She crashed into an invisible barrier. She fell to the ground, landing on her back, hard. The TAC noticed this and ran even faster.   
  
"Momiji! What happened?" Kunikida shouted as he ran.  
  
She sat up, feeling all the pain rush to her back. It was as if someone was smothering her with ache, taking the place of a warm blanket. She didn't know what had just happened. All she did was run and then suddenly crashed into an invisible wall. Although she knew and felt it happen, she couldn't understand it. How could she just abruptly be stopped like that?  
  
She stood up on her shaky legs and started to walk. She only got so far until she was stopped. "What?" she questioned.  
  
Kome reached out and said, "Come on, Momiji. We have to get out of here."  
  
Momiji looked up and shook her head. She put out her hand. Her palm stopped as soon as it touched the transparent wall. "I can't get out, guys," she said, rubbing her hand up and down. "I'm… trapped."  
  
Kunikida quickly pressed himself against the wall, trying with all his might to break it free, But it was no use. The wall stood still, not budging a single inch. No matter how badly he wanted to move it to its annihilation, it wasn't enough to relocate it.  
  
Takeuchi knelt down and felt the ground. "I don't know how it got here, Kunikida. It seems as if it just appeared out of nowhere."  
  
As they stood there, trying to find a way to get her out of there, there were footsteps behind them. Yaegashi was the only one that turned around, since he was the first one to hear it. He saw Kusanagi, just staring at him with his eyes so intense. All he could do was step back and stare back at him.  
  
Momiji looked up once she felt Kusanagi's presence. She had nothing to say to him. If it was up to her, she'd rather become mute than to speak a single word to him.  
  
"Momiji…" Kusanagi whispered, and then walked closer to her. "It's… me."  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "I know it's you, moron. I'm not stupid. And anyway, I don't want to talk to you anymore. Please leave," she said, and turned her head.  
  
He took no hesitance to her words. He only walked closer to her. "I'm back…to my original self."  
  
And with that remark, she looked up at him with a gaping look on her face. "Kusanagi?"  
  
--  
  
Murakumo felt his fingertips burn in rage as he put the last leaf over Akima's grave. His whole body wanted to rip away from him and go stalking down Kaede. He wanted to tear her apart so she could resemble his shattered heart. He wanted her to feel the same pain he feels. And even that won't be enough. Nothing could make up for her death or bring her back, not even the sweetest, ruthless revenge. Nothing.   
  
He believed her death was all his fault. He's the one who came up with the idea of them splitting up. He allowed her to be all by herself, vulnerable to any enemy. He let her give Kusanagi her mitama when he was unconscious. That was the biggest mistake. Without that mitama, her powers and defense shields were drastically decreased. Basically, she was like a defenseless rabbit faced in front of a strong wolf. She had no chance.  
  
Wrath weaved in and out of his veins. He didn't feel like himself. He felt stronger and more powerful than ever. It was an instant jump from mild to boiling hot. A surge of overwhelming energy gushed through his body like a river of vivacity.  
  
His fist pounded the ground, hitting it with the force of a hundred men. The soil beneath him broke into tiny cracks, stretching out in all directions. A globe of fog circulated around him frenziedly like a whirlwind of sand.   
  
He felt his body begin to expand to a huge length and height. Seven tiny buds made a row across his shoulders, which were growing at an alarming rate. He was turning into a creature. A creature who was trapped inside of his human-like body.   
  
His whole body screamed out in pain as he felt every inch of his skin stretch. And soon enough, his flesh was transformed into reptilian scales. His head became like a serpent's, along with the other buds which became heads as well.   
  
He became the feared eight-headed monster from long ago. The eight-headed Orochi-no-orichi.   
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please Review! 


	12. Breaking the Barrier, Facing the Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Seed or it's characters.  
  
*Puts head down in shame* I'm sorry it took forever to get another chapter up! I really am. I've been so busy with school, work, and sports. I can't help life gets in the way of getting on the computer. But anyway, since school is going to be over, I'll have more time to write and finally finish this story. So I hope you enjoy it! And as always, please review!   
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
Orochi-no-orichi, who was no longer Murakumo, slithered across the land. Revenge was his only motive that kept him going. He wanted to kill Kaede and Susana-oh to get a vengeance for Akima's death. He didn't care if he dies in the process, it would be a risk he'd gladly take in order to soak his hands in the blood of his enemy.  
  
His eight heads swirled through the air, carefully scanning the forest. He knew that Kaede was surely hiding like the spineless person she is, so he had to make an extra effort in keeping his eyes open. But even that was difficult, considering the pain he felt inside. It tore him apart inside, ripping him from limb to limb. It was a sentiment hard to ignore.  
  
Although Murakumo is a forgotten entity in a monster full of rage, a tiny part of him still thrived like a flame flickering in a darkened room. It was a part he kept alive as a memory of who he used to be: a noble leader of the Arigami and lover of Akima.   
  
"I love you, Murakumo," a faint voiced whispered in the revolving wind. "I hope to see you soon."  
  
--  
  
Momiji stared longingly at Kusanagi. She wanted him so badly that it hurt her to see him. And now, he's the old Kusanagi. The Kusanagi she had always loved. The thought of him becoming normal again was like a dream to her; she didn't expect it to come true. Hearing him call her Momiji in a voice he only used when he was sober from the evil came as a shock to her. She couldn't believe it.  
  
"Ku--," she started, but caught her voice when tears began to well up in her eyes.  
  
He smiled at her and walked closer to the clear barrier. "Momiji. I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I was blinded."  
  
  
  
With all her heart, Momiji tried to believe that *this* is the Kusanagi that she had given her heart to. She struggled to pull all the pieces of her heart back together to its original form.   
  
Kusanagi, now a couple inches away from the barrier pressed his palms against the invisible wall. They were placed in a way to appear that his hands are cupping her face, just like he had before all hell broke loose, which seemed like years ago. Although he knew she couldn't feel them, he knew that she could feel the sincerity radiating from his body. At least he hoped she could.  
  
Momiji was about to say something when Takeuchi let out a loud scream. Everyone turned to see Orochi-no-orichi, the fabled creature of the Kushinada legend, coming toward them. That was when Kusanagi, with all his incredible might, started to pound the invisible wall. He had to get Momiji out of there before she was trampled on.   
  
Swing after swing of his arm, the wall made a ping noise like rain drops landing on a steel frame. He wanted her out of there so badly. He could not handle the thought of him actually allowing her to be trapped in a box, vulnerable to the wilderness around her.   
  
Kome and Takeuchi aimed their weapons at the oncoming eight-headed monster, while the other TAC members helped Kusanagi with trying to get Momiji out. They tried everything from barging into the wall to trying to fire bullets at it. Nothing worked. The future seemed even more hopeless.  
  
Momiji frantically ran around, feeling for an open hole in the barrier. She searched high to low from side to side. The barrier turned out to be a thick, round cylinder. There were no indents or even the most microscopic crack. Her fate wasn't looking too good.  
  
Just when things were looking a very dim with no luck ahead, Kusanagi, Kunikida, and even Yaegashi, made a running start and at the same time, smashed into the wall, breaking it. The blockade fell in to nonexistence, leaving Momiji free of all fetters. She quickly ran towards them and gave Kunikida and Yaegashi a hug. She turned to Kusanagi with a little smile on her face.  
  
"Kusanagi, I--" she began, but was stopped when Kusanagi grabbed her arm and started to run.  
  
"There's no time for the mushy stuff, we've got to move!" he exclaimed.   
  
They both ran, with the TAC at their heels following behind them. They ran as if they were all in a marathon, heading towards the finish line, only in this marathon, they're running for their lives, not first place.  
  
Orochi-no-orichi slinked swiftly after them. He stayed on them like a snake on it's prey. He only had revenge on his mind and on his appetite.  
  
--  
  
Kaede lifted her hand from the ground. She sensed a coming of great power and evil. She wasn't sure what to expect, exactly. She knew Murakumo has something up his sleeve, but she couldn't figure out what. Although she was amused that it was probably because of her killing Akima. "Love has weakened Murakumo," she murmured to herself, smiling wickedly. "I'm only glad it hasn't weakened his determination to kill me."   
  
She stood in a clearing with a full-grown Susana-oh standing behind her. She felt that nothing could stop her now. Immense power flowed through her veins, taking the place of her blood. She was a tall obstacle in the way of the enemy. She won't falter, even if it means her life. When it comes to the bottom line, her pride means more to her than her life.   
  
"The end is near…" Kaede said, as she caught a glimpse of a group of people dashing towards them. And in the background, the monster, Orochi-no-orichi.   
  
  
  
--  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Please review! 


	13. Fall From Grace

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Blue Seed or its characters. 

Hey everyone! Here's the new chapter! I know, I know. I should end it soon, but don't worry, there's probably going to be only one more after this one. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! 

**

Chapter Thirteen

**

Kaede leaped into the air, landing on the Susana-oh' s head. A grin slid across her face as the figures in the distance became clearer. She knew exactly who they were. "They're so predictable," she sighed. "It's just too bad they don't know what's going to happen next." 

Susana-oh moved forward at the command of Kaede's mind control. Both of them made their way toward the center of the field. They were standing tall, like a statue of evil, not ready to be knocked over. They weren't going to let a bunch of measly humans to roll their heads through town. They'd rather kill themselves before they let the enemy embarrass them. 

"We won't falter, Lord Susana-oh," Kaede assured, and crouched down on his head. "We'll defeat them and then give Japan back its land." 

She leaped off his head and fell slowly through the air. Her robe and cape fluttered like flags of rebirth as she sailed down. She reached the ground, squatting. She stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. As she did, the strands of hair turned into tree roots that sprawled out like a blanket. The roots were tangled together to create a wall that stretched from each side of her, extending for miles and miles. 

Momiji and the others stopped running. "What the hell is that?" Kusanagi exclaimed, extending out his arm in front of Momiji in an attempt to protect her from whatever Kaede is planning to do. He, like the others, didn't comprehend the whole situation. It was a frightening sight: Kaede with a devilish look on her face and hair that mutated in to long, hard tree roots. She looked like she was about to reek havoc on all of Japan, starting with them first. 

Momiji stared at her sister in acrimony. They are twins, but not identical. They don't share any significant characteristics, only that they are both Kushinadas. Although she has the birth certificate to show that they do come from the same bloodline, she couldn't convince herself to believe that they were in fact sisters. How could she being so friendly have a sister with a sinister mind? It was like the whole Jekyl and Hide thing, only with young adult women who just happen to be the only links to save Japan and the world from total destruction, well at least one of them were. 

"You worthless humans!" Kaede grunted loudly. "How dare you think you'll be able to stop us!" 

Kunikida stepped forward and pleaded, "Kaede stop this! You're going to destroy everything for a cause that can't be prevented." 

She snickered brashly. "Don't be a fool. Japan has been crying since the day humans started to dwell here," she laughed. "With Lord Susana-oh's powers, we will stop the humans and Japan's overflowing tears. Japan will once again be the way she was meant to be. Beautiful. Sorrow-free." 

Momiji stepped forward, opening her arms. "Japan is not crying, Kaede," she said. "Japan is not sad at all. Not all humans cause pain." 

Kaede glared at her. "And what would you know about it?" 

Momiji looked over her fellow TAC members. All of them were flawed of course, but they all had a good heart. She knew that there were more people just like them, living their life to be a good citizen and make a living. Why would Kaede think they were all evil, just because of pollution and other resource-damaging things they create? Sure they do a lot of horrible things, but they make up for them. Why can't she see that? 

"I know because I believe in humans," Momiji replied with a smile. "I believe that we aren't all evil. I truly do. You should--" She didn't get to finish, because Kaede, who seemed plenty irritated, put out her hand and used her powers to elevate Momiji into the air. 

"You know nothing," Kaede said loudly, and magically threw Momiji to the ground. "You're so pitiful--," she looked up at the TAC members-- "you all are!" 

Momiji cried out as pain surged through her aching body. Kusanagi ran over to her side and hoisted her up against a tree. "Momiji," he wept, placing his hand on her cheek. She was crying, but with scattered tears that seemed to be coming from nowhere, due to her eyes being closed. Her sobs grew quiet, along with her breathing. "Talk to me, Momiji." 

Her eyes opened halfway. "Hi Kusanagi," she said softly. "I missed you." 

He smiled, but quickly flinched as a bolt of energy flew past his head. He quickly stood up in front of Momiji, to keep her safe from danger and put his hands up. He stared at Kaede with an malicious look gleaming in his eyes. He never felt so much hatred for one person in his life. He used to love Kaede with all of his heart, but now he loathes her for the person she has become. She no longer fights for good, instead evil is the only flag she waves. 

"Kaede, you're a total bi---" He stopped. Something caught his eye in the distance which made his whole body shutdown. He didn't know if he should be happy or enraged, but he did know that he was frightened. 

Orochi-no-orichi rose up behind Susana-oh and Kaede, breathing heavily. He somehow got passed Kaede's force field and behind them without a notice. He had the look of enmity flaring in his eyes like fires of burning hatred. His fangs stuck out of his mouth, dripping with poisonous saliva. He looked as if he was about to swoop down and eat them whole. 

Neither Kaede or Susana-oh knew that Orochi was behind them. They couldn't sense the odium in the air that the TAC did. It was like a stingy sensation plucking the back of their necks repeatedly. The feeling was unbearable. 

"What was that, Kusanagi?" Kaede asked. "What were you going to say to me?" 

Kusanagi swallowed hard, trying his hardest not to stare at Orochi. He didn't want to give his presence away. At least not yet… "I said you're a total weirdo, Kaede," he replied, keeping himself from saying what he really thinks about her. "I won't let you kill all the humans just because you want a rainforest right in your backyard." 

He raised his arms, letting his blades jut outward. He quickly ran toward Kaede at a deadly speed. He raced against the wind she blew at him. He couldn't let her stop him, not yet. He still has to complete this. He just has to, or Momiji's suffering would be for nothing. 

Kaede smirked as images of nasty things she could do to him slid through her head like film strip. She wanted to hurt him severely just as humans had hurt Japan since they were brought about on planet earth. He deserved it, just like they do. 

She clapped her hands together and started to rub them up and down. The constant movement of her hands created friction, which made energy radiate from them. 

Kusanagi didn't stop running, seeing that Kaede was powering up to attack him. He knew he couldn't give up no matter how large the threat is of him getting hurt. He had to protect Japan and Momiji. 

Orochi couldn't wait any longer, though. The evil surging inside of him begged him repeatedly to harm Susana-oh. And so he did. 

His largest head, the eighth one, lifted into the hair and then swiftly struck Susana-oh. His large venomous teeth plunged into the thick, rubbery skin. Susana-oh screamed out in pain. 

Kaede stopped her motion and instantly looked up at her distressing lord. Her eyes glimmered in anger. She stepped forward, leaving the rooted barrier and elevated into the air. Kusanagi had already stopped running once she descended from the ground. He looked up into the sky, amazed at the scary scene they created. 

The TAC huddled around Momiji, creating a small protective barrier. "Sir," Takeuchi said, "if we don't get out of here alive, I want you to know that it has been a pleasure to work with you--" she looked over the rest of her colleagues, "--and all of you." 

Kunikida smiled. "Takeuchi, the pleaser was all mine." 

They exchanged hugs, all except for Kome. She wasn't going to give in so easily. They have come so far to get to this point, and if they gave up now, all of their work in the past would seem worthless. Plus she was put in the TAC after being rejected from Japan's Elite Defense Force! She has to let them see how wrong they were to do that! 

"No!" Kome shouted and stood up. She cocked her gun, her face looked determined. "I will not give up! We will defeat them and show the JDF what they are missing!" 

"Uhh," Yaegashi said, confused. "Right, Kome." 

The others exchanged weary looks and then stood up. "We can do it!" they chimed, but with doubt in their voices. They weren't sure if they could do it, but they knew they could try. 

Orochi kept his bite on Susana-oh and used his sixth head to get ready to get Kaede. But she quickly got out of the way and sent a bolt of energy at him. The pain caused him to let go of his hold and cry out in agony. 

Kaede laughed. "You stupid fool, you are no match against me," she said, and sent another attack at him. "You'll never be." 

Strings of electric wire wrapped around Orochi, keeping his heads together, appearing like balloons on dangling strings. He couldn't move, the shocks from the wire contained him into being a statue. He was trapped at the bay of Kaede's inherited evil powers. 

"Look at yourself," she remarked, shaking her head in disappointment. "You're nothing but a poor excuse for a legendary monster." 

After Kaede had said that, Kusanagi jumped into the air and tackled Kaede to the ground. They fell, spinning furiously, like a tornado about to touch the ground. As they reached the land, they hit with a loud bang. Dirt lifted, creating a large cloud of dust and grit. 

While the air tried to clear, the TAC were setting up their weapons. They used everything they had brought with them, even Yaegashi's eyeglasses. The glasses were used to attract the sunlight and reflected it into the cloud of smoke. It brightened it up, drilling through the core of the haze. 

They could see Kusanagi trying to wrestle Kaede to the ground, but she kept battling him. They rolled around like tumbleweeds in the desert. Neither of them could get the other to stay pinned. 

Kome stood up and raised her gun. She aimed it at Kaede, but she couldn't get a perfect shot, due to Kusanagi being so close to her. If she tried to shoot Kaede, she might end up shooting Kusanagi instead. She couldn't take a risk like that. 

"Dammnit, Kusanagi," Kome said in frustration. "Get out of the way already!" 

Yaegashi's job was to hold his glasses so that they could see inside the cloud. But while Kome was trying to position herself so she could get a shot, she stepped on his hand. He cried out and let go of the glasses. The remaining beam of sunlight that was reflecting from the glasses, went off in a 80° angle, instead of a straight one. The ray hit the wire that kept Orochi restricted from movement. 

Orochi's heads whirled out. He growled, looking plenty pissed. No only did he look like he was going to kill Susana-oh, but the rest of them as well. 

"Oh, shit," Yaegashi breathed. 

-- 

To Be Continued… 

Please Review! 


	14. Red Hum

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Blue Seed… 

Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it and please review. After this, there is only one more to go! Yay! 

**

Chapter Fourteen

**

Orochi's heads swiftly swooped to Yaegashi's eyelevel. He shouted, but the others were unable to get close enough to save him, due to the danger. Orochi did not gobble Yaegashi up in one bite, like he thought, but instead, he only breathed heavily on him, his mouth watering. 

"Please…" Yaegashi squealed, lifting up his hands, shaking. "…I promise you I'm not appetizing." 

Orochi smiled eight smiles, which was eight too many that Yaegashi wanted to see before death. He then swiveled around him, like a snake surrounding its prey. It got to the point were Yaegashi was unable to be seen by the others. 

"Yaegashi!" Kome shouted, lifting up her gun. "Stop being a fool and run!" 

"I can't…move," he replied, not being able to catch his breath. He tightly closed his eyes, praying to be at home on his computer. 

Kusanagi and Kaede were still going at it. They constantly rolled around, both trying to gain control of the fight. It was hard though. They both were equally strong and determined to win domination. It was like an epic crusade against the good and the evil, only in this one, it was hard to see what is truly good and evil. Each side has their own opinion of what should be what. Neither side is absolutely good or completely evil. They are both in the same spectrum, though they would never know it. 

"Why won't you just die already?!" Kaede exclaimed, trying to pin him to the ground. 

Kusanagi grinned and tossed her off of him. "Isn't there a saying like, "Hero's never die." I'm the hero, and you're the villain." 

She quickly got up and went to punch him when he caught her hand in the air. "It's legends, Kusanagi, not hero's," she said, grunting. 

He shrugged his shoulders. "Same thing." 

She struggled to get loose from his tight grip, but it was useless. He wasn't going to let go. Never. It was the first time he was able to decide between her living or dieing with just one squeeze of his hand. He wanted to strangle her right there, keeping oxygen from touching her lungs. He wanted to take away every breath she desperately needed to survive, but no matter how hard her tried to make himself do it, he couldn't. a force stopped him. Could it be he didn't want to kill her because of their past relationship or is it that it would be too easy to just kill her? Either one doesn't matter, because the fact that he can't murder her still remains. 

His grip lessened, but he still had a tight grasp of her. "What's the matter, Kusanagi?" she asked, after taking a couple of breaths. "You can't do it, can you? Coward." 

With all of his might Kusanagi kept his anger from tearing her into shreds. He sucked it all in and ignored her. 

"Come on, Kusanagi," she coaxed. "You know you want to do it." 

He looked at her. In her eyes he saw pure terror radiating around the pupil. It amused him. She pretended to be courageous and a villain, but in reality she is nothing more than a scared rabbit in front of a wolf. It was a good sign, though. It showed how much human responses she has. She may be part demon, but she has at least a small percentage of human inside of her, though she would never admit it. 

In a quick flash, Yaegashi felt his body being grappled to the hard ground. He shouted, without opening his eyes. He did not want to see his body being squished by Orochi. If he got a glimpse, he would not be able die in piece due to the horrible sight of him being eaten alive. 

However. Just as he was about to cry painful tears, a voice screamed, "Yaegashi! You're shouting in my ear!" 

His eyes shot open and he saw Kome laying on top of him. They were under a set of bushes, layered with branches and leaves. Orochi was unable to see them, due to the thickness of their surroundings. 

"Kome! What--what happened?" he asked loudly. 

"Shut up, moron! He'll hear you," she said, and took a deep breath. "He was about to eat you, dummy. You just stood there cowering in front of him. What did you expect me to do? Just let you die?" 

He blushed. "Wow, Kome. I didn't think you cared that much," he said, and started to wrap his arms around her waist until he was stopped by a gun being pressed against his temple. 

"Watch your wandering hands, Yaegashi," she warned. 

"Sorry, Kome, " he said, his face a dark shade of red. 

In search of Yaegashi and Kome, Orochi's heads wandered the area. His attention was being caught, which meant for a perfect time to attack him, but neither the Kusanagi or the TAC could get to him without disturbing his hunt. The idyllic moment of battle was so close, but yet so far from being taken. 

Momiji opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Pain trickled around her stomach and back, but she couldn't lay there while her friends were risking their lives. She stood up, her legs shaky. She gradually made her way down a tiny hill where the rest of the TAC was. 

"Momiji!" Matsumara exclaimed. "What are you doing down here?" 

Takeuchi turned and quickly gaped. "It's too dangerous for you to be down here!" 

Both Matsumara and Takeuchi grabbed a hold of her and began to guide her up the hill. Momiji, in protest, kept her legs stiff to decline their effort to get to the top of the hill. It hurt her to be unyielding, but she did not want to leave them to die just to save her. 

"No!" Momiji shouted. "I don't want to leave you." She turned to face them. "We have a chance to get rid of Orochi and Susana-oh." 

Takeuchi shook her head while folding her arms. "I will not let you participate in risking your life, Momiji." 

"Neither will I," Matsumara chimed in. 

Momiji took in a deep breath and then bowed. The next thing she was going to do she knew she would regret, but she figured it was the best thing to go. She whispered "sorry" and then quickly charged towards them, pushing them to the sides with her arms. They both fell to the ground, but she kept running down the hill until she was about a few yards away from Orochi. She stared up at him. One of his heads was trying to suffocate the vulnerable Susana-oh, and the others were looking for Yaegashi. How has the world become overshadowed by evil and still be able to support life? She did not know the answer. All she knew is that life is a delicate thing, it can be created and destroyed so easily. It's important to take care of it and not take it for granted. Violence and hate are the only real enemies we have, but it's also the virtues that everyone bears within them. She knew she could not stop everyone from hating each other, but she knew she could stop the violence and do away with the evilness laid before her. 

Her arms reached out as if she were trying to embrace the air. Her eyes closed and she began to radiate a dim red. The glow encircled her, creating a thin barrier. Everyone stopped and watched as she became a weightless body in a red dome. 

Kusanagi used a power deep inside himself to create shackles of electricity around Kaede. She was pinned to the ground, unable to move. He then stood up and moved closer to Momiji. He was drawn by the light and the soft hum it made. 

No one knew what was going on at the time, but they knew it may or may not have a good ending. 

-- 

To Be Continued… 

Please Review! 


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